Siraya: The First People To Call Tainan Home

This year, Tainan celebrates its 400th anniversary as Taiwan’s oldest city. In this place in 1624, the Dutch built Fort Zeelandia, their first colonial outpost on the island. But they were not the first to settle this land. As the Dutch fort rose from the ground, the Siraya and other Indigenous peoples of this land faced an uncertain future of oppression, assimilation and cultural erosion that would last for centuries. Who are the Siraya people? And what kind of history are they celebrating this year? We talk with Dr. Jolan Hsieh, or Bavaragh Dagalomai, a Siraya activist, scholar and director of the Center for International Indigenous Affairs at the National Dong Hwa University. New episodes are released every Tuesday at 21:00 (Taipei, GMT+8). For engaging updates and video snippets of #InTaiwanWeSpeak, follow Radio Taiwan International on socials and YouTube ⁠here⁠. Give us feedback and share the podcast with others to help mainstream the conversation.